French GP: Pramac Racing preview

ON THE WAY TO LE MANS FOR THE THIRD GRAND PRIX OF THE SEASON
There was expecting an immediate redemption after the problems had in the
first GP of the season, and partly had it in the last GP. At Jerez de la
Frontera, both riders of the Pramac...

ON THE WAY TO LE MANS FOR THE THIRD GRAND PRIX OF THE SEASON

There was expecting an immediate redemption after the problems had in the
first GP of the season, and partly had it in the last GP. At Jerez de la
Frontera, both riders of the Pramac Racing Team did not disfigured,
concluding the race in the seventh position with Mika Kallio and
fifteenth with Aleix Espargarò, it was an unlucky race for the young
Catalan who has damaged his bike after a fall. The final place of the
Finnish rider was very important because he had start the race from the
last position on the grid, and he had battled lap after lap overtaking
opponents ahead of him. Now we all go to France on the Le Mans track. The
circuit of Le Mans is one of the fixed stage of the Championship, Sunday
the twenty fourth French Grand Prix will take place on the track made
famous worldwide thanks to the endurance races that employ riders and
drivers for 24 hours. The Pramac Racing has always had an uneasy
relationship with this track, having scored just one podium here in 2004
when the Pramac's brand logo was on the hulls of the bike of Max Biaggi.
Following that season, there were mixed results on the circuit with some
withdrawals and some position far from the top riders. Last year the team
was ranked fifteenth with Canepa, and a retired result for Kallio after
he had covered eleven laps. It is from the Finn rider that the Team
expert a good result so that he can continue to get results that he can
certainly reach. Mika has always had a good feeling with the French
track; here he has achieved two podium when he was riding a 125cc bike, a
second place in 2006 and third in 2005.

Paolo Campinoti - Team Principal Pramac Racing Team

"I am very satisfied for the result that both riders have obtained in
Jerez, Mika was the protagonist of a splendid comeback that give us good
feelings for the rest of the season and confirms its great value as a
rider. Aleix had some problems, but he has proven to be very fast on the
track and that he had a great character, is not easy to get back on track
to prove your worth if you know that you have been lapped some times. My
hope is that both drivers will improve their positions in the starting
grid and that both can be protagonists of a great race, we are aware of
their value, and we will work to offer them a perfect bike for this
track. "

Mika Kallio

"The result of Jerez has given me enormous confidence for this season, I
wanted to send a signal to those who always supported me even in
difficult times and I think I did. I've heard a lot of trust around me
even after the bad Saturday qualifying laps, starting in last place is
not exactly the best thing, but I had a great race pace that allowed me
to close in the seventh position. I would like to confirm this position
even in the next Grand Prix, even managing to get a better starting
position. I have a fairly good feeling with this track of Le Mans, where
I had good results in the past: I got the podium twice, I was second in
2006 and third in 2005. In both occasions I was driving a 125 cc. Last
year, unfortunately I had some problems throughout the weekend, I started
in fourteenth position, I was able to move up to tenth position but on
the eleventh lap I retired from the race. "

Aleix Espargarò

"I look forward to the Sunday race to try to finally get a result that
can repay the trust and confidence that the team has placed in me during
the beginning of this season. The weekend in Jerez has been unlucky and
difficult for me, I slipped both in qualifying and in the race,
undermining the work done on my bike to get a good result. I still wanted
to prove that I could be fast on the track, so I went back on track even
if I had been lapped several times. I raced in Le Mans just three times
till now getting a ninth place as best result in 2008 driving a 250 cc. I
hope to have an immediate good feeling with the track so that I can try
to have better lap times. "